Registrations are open for the IBM zStudent Contest 2022, sponsored by IBM zXplore.

About the IBM zStudent Contest

IBM zStudent Contest is a thrilling coding contest centered around sustainable energy that will teach you computing skills used to power some of today’s largest enterprise companies. Along the way, you will learn JCL, z/OS, SQL, COBOL, Python, APIs, Unix and more.

Your Mission

Progress through six successive challenges (“drops”) to find and collect the most sustainable fuel cells to charge your zMobile car. You will be given progressive coding challenges to help you build your final submission project leave the digital city in a green way!

Skills for the Contest

Earning the IBM Z Xplore Concepts Badge will set contestants up to be successful for the contest and collect the fuel cells parts in the most sustainable way.

Through completion of Fundamentals and Concepts levels (how you earn the Concepts Badge), contestants will have skills in:

  • VS Code
  • JCL
  • Files and Members
  • Unix System Services (USS)
  • REXX
  • Python

Additional skills that will set a contestant apart and help place them as a contest finalist are:

  • Databases
  • APIs
  • Programming Interfaces
  • Coordinating tasks and services across a hybrid environment

If you do not have these skills yet, take the time to do your research. It is okay to not know everything while completing the contest. Part of the challenge of the contest is to use your resources.

Participation Benefits

The enterprise computing industry is facing a skills gap – the rate of skills development isn’t keeping pace with experienced technologists retiring. This gap creates an opportunity for YOU to learn these skills and be a part of the industry. Competing and completing the IBM zStudent Contest will open the doors for you and help you develop and enhance skills that will set you a part for hiring.

Prize Money

Please note taxes are not included

Grand Prize – Global Winners (3)

USD 1,500 each

Regional Prize – Regional Winners (6)

USD 1,000 each

One winner per region:

  1. Asia Pacific
  2. Middle East and Africa
  3. Europe
  4. Latin America
  5. North America
  6. India

Excludes Global Winners

How to Register?

Interested participants can register for the IBM zStudent Contest through this link.

Important Dates

  • Contest Starts On: Sep 14, 2022, 09:30 AM IST
  • Contest Ends On: Jan 01, 2023, 10:29 AM IST

Click here to view the official notification for the IBM zStudent Contest 2022.